In a 3GPP system, a function of an AAA server is: The AAA server receives an authentication request from a UE or a home device and then performs authentication and authorization for the UE or home device. FIG. 1 shows interfaces through which the UE accesses a 3GPP AAA server in the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, when the UE accesses the 3GPP AAA server through the interfaces of different network devices, the interfaces support different authentication modes.
The Wa interface supports Extensible Authentication Protocol-Subscriber Identity Module (EAP-SIM) authentication or EAP-Authentication and Key Agreement (EAP-AKA) authentication.
The Wm interface supports EAP-SIM authentication based on Internet Key Exchange (IKE) V2 or EAP-AKA authentication based on IKE V2.
The SWm interface supports EAP-AKA authentication based on IKE V2.
The STa interface supports EAP-AKA′ authentication, which may be regarded as a new authentication mode derived from the EAP-AKA authentication with a little modification.
The SWa interface supports EAP-AKA authentication or EAP-AKN authentication.
The S6b interface supports EAP-AKA authentication based on IKE V2.
The name of the interface between the Security Gateway (SeGW) and the 3GPP AAA server has not been defined, and this interface supports EAP-AKA authentication based on IKE V2.
In a roaming scenario, all the messages sent from the foregoing interfaces need to be forwarded by the Wd/SWd interface which exists between the 3GPP AAA proxy and the 3GPP AAA server. Therefore, the Wd/SWd interface supports all the authentication modes mentioned above.
In the process of implementing the present invention, the inventor finds at least these defects in the prior art: When the 3GPP AAA server supports authentication of all or part of the interfaces shown in FIG. 1 concurrently, some authentication modes are not identifiable to the 3GPP AAA server; the 3GPP AAA server is unable to identify the authentication mode after receiving the authentication request from such interfaces, and the authentication processing cannot go on.